Synchronizing control of multiple pieces of video/audio processing equipment from one control interface involves using a control protocol that is understood by all of the equipment or inserting one or more protocol translators into communication paths between the control interface and each piece of equipment for which control protocol translation is needed. The control interface can be a physical hard control interface, a graphical user interface, a command line interface, or an automation system, for example.
In one possible scenario, two video production processing equipment frames are controlled from one control panel. Messages from one control panel are echoed to both equipment frames so that both equipment frames receive the same instructions. An instruction could be to change the current video source from Video Input 3 to Video Input 1, for instance. Both equipment frames would receive the same control message and act upon it. If the communication paths in a control network through which control messages are transmitted have very limited latency, then both equipment frames will act upon the same command within the same frame of video. In this manner, two simultaneous and identical video productions can be executed by two processing equipment frames under the control of one user using one control panel.
Jitter in the control network or different latencies in the control network from the control interface to each piece of video/audio processing equipment, for example, can affect the ability to have each piece of equipment act on the same command within the same frame of video. This issue can be compounded where both jitter and differing latency conditions exist.